In 1921, the University of Illinois purchased the Cavagna Sangiuliani Collection of Italian imprints and manuscripts from the descendants of Count Antonio Cavagna Sangiuliani di Gualdana (1843-1913) as part of a wider effort to establish the University as a leading center for advanced study. Estimated at over 45,000 volumes, including manuscript material dating from 1116, the acquisition of the Cavagna Sangiuliani Collection helped to increase the Library’s holdings to over half a million volumes.

This exhibition celebrates the history of the collection at the University of Illinois; its collector, Antonio Cavagna Sangiuliani di Gualdana; and the extraordinary depth and breadth of the collection, newly accessible thanks to a Cataloging Hidden Collections grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources.